Learning English-Lesson Fifty (Samuel Johnson)

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Welcome to Lichfield Cathedral.

Lichfield Cathedral stands high and proud above the Staffordshire city, whose name it bears. The most obvious feature, being the three tall spires which have been nicknamed 'The ladies of the Vale'. The central spire is 77 Metres tall and the two western spires each measure over 58 Metres.

The public entrance is via the west doorway and admission is usually free but of course you are more than welcome to make a generous donation as you walk in.

The internal length of the Cathedral is 113 Metres and is made up of many different sections, housing various artefacts, such as tombs, statues and regimental colour flags. There is also a memorial to Michael Johnson the father of the writer of Samuel Johnson, who we will be hearing more about later.

The Cathedral itself is built on the site of the original Saxon Church which stood there before, however the Cathedral that stands here today is the second one to be built, replacing the first Norman structure over seven hundred years ago. During those years, the Cathedral has undergone many transformations, not least of all, its virtual destruction during the English Civil War. Since then it has been heavily renovated, with many of the stone statues on the outside being re-carved as copies of the original ones.

The building is steeped in History. The stained glass windows literally reflect ages past. Stories of heroism and legends of valour from days long since gone.

These types of buildings hold a profound fascination for me. They are a tangible connection with the past. All that went before is preserved, although not always perfectly. In one way or another, we are all a part of History. Although the marks we leave upon it vary considerably.

These days the Cathedral serves many purposes. Weddings, funerals, and daily services are all still held here... and of course its historical value which makes Lichfield Cathedral a place well worth visiting.

You know the world of English is a fun and exciting place to be. I'm so glad you could join me for another lesson.

Hi everybody, this is Misterduncan in England. How are you today? Are you OK? I hope so! Are you happy? I hope so! In today's special lesson I'm in a City which is famous for its magnificent Cathedral and for being the birthplace of a man whose hard work and dedication helped us all to understand and learn about the way in which the English language should be used, by creating the earliest definitive version of the English Dictionary. It also happens to be his 300th birthday this year. The City is Lichfield... The man in question is Samuel Johnson.

Samuel Johnson. His Life and Work.

Samuel Johnson was born inside this house in the Market Square, Lichfield on September 18th 1709. His father's name was Michael who was a Bookseller. His mother's name was Sarah. According to Samuel, his family had little money and his early life was spent in virtual poverty. Samuel's mother encouraged him to read from a very early age and by the time he began school at 4 he was more than able to recite long passages from 'The book of common prayer'. There was very little doubt that Samuel was a smart and intelligent boy indeed.

Samuel Johnson's childhood was blighted by ill health. He suffered from Scrofula, which is a form of Tuberculosis and the treatment for this condition left Johnson scarred on both his face and his body.

In school Johnson showed even more promise, excelling at Latin and gaining an even greater grasp of the English language too.